#105 Fiel Sahir on Learning a Language Without “Studying”

Enthusiastic learner, New York resident, musician, and polyglot, Fiel Sahir, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about finding mentors, learning heritage languages, studying Chinese with the Language Hacking Mandarin book, and using languages in a non-language-related field.

Fiel, in his own words, says one of his greatest strengths is his endless curiosity. It’s led to him making incredible connections, learning lots of languages, finding community, and a life of learning. If you’re interested in learning a heritage language, learning without strictly “studying” or how music influences your language learning, this is the episode for you.

Featured Resources

• Language Hacking Mandarin
• italki

Patreon Extended Episode

Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear in the long-form episode:

• How to learn languages without “studying”
• The influence music has on language learning
• How Benny and Shannon’s language learning philosophies have developed over years of learning
• Fiel’s future language learning plans

Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Language Hacking Mandarin
• italki
• Polyglot Gathering
• Glossika
• Anki
• Easy Languages
• Olly Richard’s Books
• XiaoManNYC
• Speak from Day 1
• How to Use Chunking to Fire Up Your Language Learning
• Fiel’s Chat with Olly Richards

Episode Overview

Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:

• How a long car ride led to Fiel’s passion for language learning
• Finding mentors and the role a good mentor can play in your growth
• The power of curiosity
• Studying music at a German university
• Learning a heritage language and connecting with culture
• What it’s like living in one of the most multilingual cities in the world
• The powerful influence of community in language learning

Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy